As many of you will know, my mum went to be with Jesus just before COVID hit. It was a time full of pain, exhaustion – but also very little space to grieve. We were thrust into the pandemic and I was helping my husband move our services online and look after our church members as well as reaching out to my dad as he navigated the first lockdown so soon after being widowed.

But there was one companion that I found extremely helpful – and I am delighted to say that it is about to be published! The lovely Penelope Swithinbank shared an early draft of Scent of Water with me, as it is a daily devotional for the first six months of bereavement and she hoped it would help.

It certainly did.

Written out of her own experience of seeing her mum die suddenly and tragically, she generously shared it on her website but now, ten years on, she has found a publisher and created a book version that would be a wonderful gift for anyone who has been recently bereaved.

EXPERIENCING GOD’S LOVE

Penelope’s writing is honest – her experience of being broken hearted herself means she is able to empathise and offer comfort. She is certainly living out 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 through this book: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

As she says in the book: “This may well be the scent of water your soul craves. Even just a few moments might help you to know the love of the God who walks alongside you and loves you in and through your grief, your tears. As someone once said, there are some things that only become visible through our tears; things that the dry-eyed don’t see.  

“May you see, may you know, that this is the chance for God to put his arms around you and hold you in his love in ways you had never even imagined.”

That is a great description of how I felt when I dipped into the devotional – it felt like God was coming close and a dear friend was sharing what she had learned about grief.

A PRECIOUS GIFT 

The daily readings and reflections are short enough not to feel burdensome, but also contain such on-point descriptions of what grief feels like – as well as depth of truth, and life-giving words at a time when all seems lost.

Throughout the book Penelope leaves blank spaces in order for us to personalise thoughts and prayers. She also includes reflections on special days that are often difficult, such as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas.

This is a thoughtful, precious gift of a book – and so timely as so many have been touched by grief this year.

Penelope Swithinbank is a chaplain at Bath Abbey and a spiritual therapist and counsellor for clergy (and some normal people too). Since becoming a vicar nearly 20 years ago, she has worked in churches in the UK and the USA, and has led pilgrimages in the UK and in Europe. She and her husband Kim have been married for more than 40 years and have three children and six grandchildren. Penelope rarely sits down, loathes gardening and relaxes by walking, reading, going to the theatre or playing the piano. She is the author of Women by Design, Walking Back to Happiness and Scent of Water. She also contributes to Bible reading notes for Scripture Union.